I - 1 : When Rhodes "invented" the Egyptian Grain Trade

Arrived in Rhodes - one day from boarding the MYRA!

The Ports in Rhodes are still the same as in ancient Times - Open Port (left), Big Port (right)

In antiquity, ports told you a lot about a town’s commercial success. Grain exporting Alexandria had the biggest port in the Mediterranean, Carthage needed two for its large fleet. The Roman Emperors Claudius and Trajan had to build new ports in Ostia. So, what do Rhodes’ four harbors tell us? Why are there so many? The 60 trireme of their Navy would surely have fitted into one. “It is the economy, stupid” President Clinton famously said in 1992. He was referring to American voters’ priority. The same applies to the Rhodesians. Three ports were for Rhodes’ commercial fleet - the island’s bread winner for centuries.

The two Ports of Carthage around 300 AD (left) and now (right)

In one of my previous blogs we noticed how important the Dodecanese was for sailing from east to west. It is here where the freighters left the thermal wind system that carried them from Egypt  to the Levant and then to Anatolia. Once they reached the Dodecanese, the sailboats met another wind system - the Meltemi and its gentler cousins. As hot air rises over the Sahara and the Mediterranean, cold air flows in from the north. The northerly always blows as visitors to the island of Mykonos know well. Mostly gently but sometimes rough.

On the way back from Egypt, Roman Freighters had to cross the Dodecanese Islands

Sitting out a strong Meltemi is the safe option for sailors. They welcome a port that provides shelter in the Dodecanese. The Rhodesians and the other members of the Doric League had figured this out by 800 BC. Their safe ports were the base for their maritime activities and gave them the skills to build large commercial fleets. They had learnt from the Phoenicians who came to their shores since around 1'000 AD. The Doric League was so successful, that it contributed 1/3 of the fleet to the Persian King Xerxes, when he sailed against Athens in 480 BC. They also served Alexander the Great a good 150 years later and shipped much of the supplies for his army.

Mosaic of a Roman Grain Ship from around 250 AD (now in the Vatican Library)

It was at that time when Egypt joined the Hellenistic world and was integrated into the Mediterranean trading system. Under the Assyrians and Persians who both had conquered Egypt before, grain was only exported for their armies. Nobody else could buy Egyptian cereals. Athens for example, never self-sufficient in food supplies, had to import its grain from the far away Bosporian Kingdom on the Sea of Azov (where Russia and the Ukraine fight today). Importing grain from Egypt which enjoyed three harvests per year, would have been easier and cheaper but politically impossible.

4 Hellenistic Kingdoms run by Alexander's Generals fought after his death over his empire

With the death of Alexander the Great, power was reordered in the Middle East. His surviving generals jostled for his succession and grabbed as much of his empire as they could. From the very beginning, Rhodes was aligned with Ptolemy I, one of Alexander’s best buddies. He first took control of Egypt; subsequently of the Levant and southern Anatolia. The Ptolemy dynasty supported Rhodes in many wars against other “successors” and provided much needed assistance after the devastating earthquake in 224 BC.

The ancient Rhodes with its four harbors had 80'000 inhabitants and was much larger than

Medieval Rhodes

Latest at this point but probably much earlier, Rhodos and Ptolemy Egypt had converging interests. Rhodes had a large commercial fleet. Egypt a large grain surplus. All Greek towns were eager to buy affordable wheat. Et voilà. The Egyptian grain trade was born - long before the Romans took it over. During this period, Rome was at war with Carthage. The three Punic wars were fought – amongst other reasons – for giving Rome access to the bread baskets of Sicily and Northern Africa.

This Photo shows ancient Rhodes' War Harbor - It was used by the Maltese Knights as well almost 1'700 years later

Now the four harbors of Rhodes make sense. One was for the Navy, the other three for the Egyptian grain trade. They must have a been bustling environment. The wealth from the grain trade attracted traders from all over the known world. Rhodes was the pre-eminent harbor in the eastern Mediterranean. Every known product was a available. We know that it was also a big slave market since Rome – after a dispute with Rhodes – transferred it in 167 BC to Delos, the holy island of Apollo. The grain trade remained in Rhodes though. There is no evidence on Delos of any granary ever built.

The same harbour from a different angle - to the right the Italian built Church and Market

Rome must have become aware of the lucrative grain trade when it got involved in the Second Macedonian War (200 – 196 BC). It supported Rhodes against the Macedonians. The Romans always had an eye for profits. Rhodes was first Rome's ally, after 167 BC its vassal and in 74 BC became fully integrated. 26 years later, in 48 BC, Caesar landed in Egypt. It would only be a matter of time before the Romans “acquired” this lucrative trade for themselves. But Rhodes remained a flourishing place. Thanks to the prevailing winds, every Roman boat had to pass Rhodes. Whilst trading activities plateaued the island became a kind of sea side resort for wealthy Romans who loved coming for learning and relaxation – a few though were forced to spend their lives here on the order of Roman emperors.

Our MYRA is here - not for Shipping Grain but for Taking us to Pylos on the Peloponnese